[quote="SJUFAN2" post=367431]
They really shouldn't go up just because of the Cole signing. They may go up anyway, they usually do, but if they trade Happ (17m) and they win the case for terminating Ellsbury's (26m) contract they are clearing $43m in cap space and adding Cole at $36M.[/quote]
It'll be highly unlikely they win the Elsbury dispute. I think the better way to look at it is:
Happ: if they can lose most of that contract = $17mm; they have to trade away some prospects to make that happen. That's fine.
Gregorious: Already lost him: 11.75mm
Betances: Probalby will lose him $7.5mm
Gardner: He made $7.5mm last year maybe they resign him for slightly less / or they let him go and they roll the dice with Tauchman for a few months. If the budget is the big issue; i would probably let Gardner go, and re-sign a a different reliever.
That's $43mm right there. So they basically will have to choose between re-signing Gardner or signing another half-decent reliever, if only considering these players in a vacuum.
If they don't want to completely blow the budget, they'll have to continue to get production with some guys making minimal salaries, like Tauchman / perhaps bringing up a minor league guy for the bullpen.